Huw Edwards ‘sickened’ by BBC failings over Diana interview
Huw Edwards has said he is “sickened” by the BBC’s failings over its handling of an interview with Diana, Princess of Wales.
The Welsh broadcaster said there was “no excuse or justification for what happened” after an inquiry found the BBC fell below its standards.
But he added that being “lectured” on “probity and trust by certain parts of the media is somewhat vexing”.
Supreme Court judge Lord Dyson found that reporter Martin Bashir has been “unreliable”, “devious” and “dishonest”, to land the interview with the princess for BBC Panorama 25 years ago.
It attracted a UK audience of 23m and turned Bashir into a household name.
Bashir was investigated by the BBC at the time by Tony Hall, who went on to become the BBC’s director general. He found that Bashir was “honest” and an “honourable man”.
But after accusations resurfaced last autumn that Bashir misled the princess to gain her trust, another inquiry was established to get to the bottom of what happened.
In his report Dyson condemned Hall’s inquiry as “flawed” and “woefully ineffective”.
Huw Edwards said: There is no excuse or justification for what happened in 1995. We are all sickened by it and the subsequent handling of it. For today’s @BBCNews team — 25 years on — to be lectured on probity and trust by certain parts of the media is somewhat vexing.”
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why isn’t everyone pointing the finger at the inertia of the royals tow
The BBC is now and always has been the creature of the establishment whichever party is in power, as witness the constant attacks on Nicola Sturgeon.
Bashir misled the princess to gain her trust. Bashir has been “unreliable”, “devious” and “dishonest”. But I thought it was Charles who did exactly that. Charles will soon become a buffoonish king and the image of Britain will overnight change from Rule Britannia to a bicycle riding monarchy of Little Britain with the palaces open to the peasants. The power of the House of Saxe Coburg Gotha is eroding as a direct consequence of Charles’ monstrous behavior and the BBC is serving as an ideal scapegoat for that. Harry is dealing bravely with what his “father” did. But William is revealing… Read more »
I couldn’t help thinking Trump is chucking and saying ‘Just like I said. Another beut’. So much for Jon Sopel’s “…Impartial, free and fair” claim.